Megabear2

An attempt to get back to my general reporting! Monday for me was dedicated to the main reason I had a moment of madness and booked this cruise! Midge Ure. I am a massive music fan and travel extensively to watch acts live around the world, often making extended trips to the US in particular to catch up on acts I can rarely see and driving or taking the train from place to place. Midge Ure is way up on my list of people I will travel anywhere i can to see so this cruise had to be booked for him, much the same way as my transatlantic previously and my much loved James Taylor crossing - my best ever Cunard memory. As a result my day was pretty much mapped out with seeing him in conversation in the morning and the evening concert, hence little to report save I thought the performances (yes sorry I cheated ...) were excellent. However in between all this return to my groupie youth, I did go for my WC lunch at Sir Samuel's (part of my devious plan to avoid missing a second of the performance and to ensure a front row seat!). I quite liked the restaurant but as a solo lady felt rather uncomfortable in my somewhat on display seat at the end of the middle row. The menu was quite large for a lunchtime although quite a few things were extra pay. .I decided to pay the $8.50 for the crab cake starter which although nice was relatively small and in my opinion I'd not pay for it again. The next course was short rib. Now I have to admit to not beiing a great meat eater, but this was very nice, albeit far too big for me. There were a good selection of sides and I chose broccoli, mushrooms and sweet potato fries. The portions provided would have amply fed two in my opinion but as I found them very good I did my best to do them justice. Sweet was more limited, I think about three choices if my memory serves me correct. I chose the cheesecake which was very good. I did not have coffee or tea as I was keen to leave. Why you may ask, well very unusually for a Cunard ship I do in some places feel a little uncomfortable as a lone traveller. Sir Samuel's was one of those. I cannot put my finger on what made me feel so uncomfortable but I did. There are one or two other places around the ship where I seem to become invisible if I try to get a drink. I have little trouble in the Queen's Room where I have one particular waiter who actively rushes to take my order and if its early and not too busy stops for a chat. Again Carinthia a great guy who is prompt and offers wine advice, but the Chart Room if it's busy I seem to not be visible no matter which section I'm in! I can order in there and wait 25 minutes to have the waiter rush by saying sorry I won't be.long as he takes a new order so I've started to avoid there. The Golden Lion is another black hole although if I go in there when a quiz or bingo is on I get served superfast- I think everyone else is too busy studying their cards and answer sheets to order drinks! Overall I guess 70% of the time I can order fine. The Commodore Club are highly efficient, the only downside there is the high drink prices virtually ruling out my drinks package as virtually everything is over the limit. On deck, well we have had those rare moments you know, I generally get a drink.first time but again become invisible if I want a second - perhaps I look like I could become a delinquent drinker waving my drinks package sticker frantically to get attention! None of this is a complaint, more an observation/comparison with the other three Queens where I've never felt uncomfortable or forgotten. Overall I've noticed service can be a little less than imagine used to. Our dinner waiter virtually throws the cups and saucers on the table at night and is clearly very rushed. I don't think he's spoken to any of us save to take our order. However the head waiter has for the past two nights come over several times to check all.is well with us - ahh someone loves us after all!!

I'm delighted with your wonderful country! I've spent 68 years never coming up and now have a taster. My husband and I are due in Edinburgh in July for four days, mainly to see Paul Weller at Edinburgh Castle but I've just discussed with him extending by a week.or so and hiring a car to go further north so yes those taster cruises do work! ps Although it rained today I think you have some of the biggest sky I've ever seen!

We British love a novelty Christmas record. Ernie The Fastest Milkman in the West by Benny Hill.being particularly big in my part of the world, but then there's other "gems" like Mr Blobby and Bob the Builder. Need I say more?

I personally travel by train most places here and in Europe but a sightseeing holiday, not a city break is best accomplished by car particularly at present with unreliable trains and strikes. I'm able to plan my journeys to avoid engineering works and strikes but anyone on a schedule may find that difficult and hence my suggestion car.

Vienna was actually 4 weeks at no.2 due to John Lennon being shot, then Shut Uppa Your Face" took number one at Christmas. He is also one of my all times musical heroes, very undervalued for his solo work and also an absolutely charming man.

His given name is actually James and he produced and wrote Do They Know it's Christmas. He is the real talent in the Live Aid partnership, a talented musician and producer of music. You'd approve - he wears a suit.

Car, but use the heritage trains if you can for days out. Trying to tie in with one of the Cathedral Expresses can give a good day out through some great countryside and you get to travel behind one of our great steam locomotive engines to boot. A couple of weeks back I travelled behind the Sir Nigel Gresley London to Chester and you can get a choice of destinations and full range of engines including the Flying Scotsman. Not exactly the Belmond Orient Express but you dine onboard and it's generally fun on a scenic route https://steamdreams.co.uk/full-day-journeys/

Loch Ness, watching the clouds roll in. Clear one way, the other ... But there is sun as well. A lovely little waterfall but I passed on the photographs as right in the middle a cluster of plastic bags.

The queue at stairway A has been far smaller both days. The midships B is being used by the more mobility impaired. It is also near some nice seating and on deck 2 is the excursions office and today in particular lots had weather related questions. On the latter so far so good as we are at our first stop and no rain.

How does Inverness look? My guide just told me it will be interesting as he looked at the sky ...

Yes, I had mine the day before yesterday in Sir Samuel's. Very nice but quite a lot of pay extra items, more than I've seen before.

Typical! I recently watched a wonderful film with Timothy Spall where he went from Scotland to Cornwall using his bus pass. In my case it was a joke but I do recall him not having money to pay a fare at one point. Actually down in my part of the world I've seen Scottish bus passes accepted, and to be truthful and non political as it's the UK government subsidising them to local authorities it seems totally correct. Incidentally I do use mine in Wales regularly. Shore experiences tell me the tour operators have "no information" on the exciting weather reports I showed him on the Internet, so it's on ... watch this space guys, it could be a wild ride!

Excellent choice I feel. However I've never been to Scotland, in fact nowhere north of Harrogate and that's been very rare so I said to myself let's have a go and see just what our Scottish friends get hurled at them by nature! The flash flooding risk is the most worrying though ... It's scheduled to be over by 6.00pm ha ha.

Berni Flint is a British icon, yes from a different age but rather his take on telling a story than the obsession the current wave of comedy acts have of telling us straight off their sexual persuasion or discussing farting, nose picking and other bodily functions. Cunard would be damned if they offered up one of these modern artists, what would you have them do? Comedy has always been edgey it needs to be a little riskae to make you chuckle, otherwise it's bland and boring. The "naughtiness" is the secret, the oooh did he just say that moment.

I've not ventured out of my nice quiet little cocoon yet, having just enjoyed a room service breakfast. However Accuweather, Weather.com and the BBC are encouraging me to believe I'm about to face the tempest with heavy rain all day and afternoon thunderstorms threatening 40mm of rain in an hour and a possible flood risk! This is going to be a VERY interesting day ... I'm on a ship's tour leaving 9.30am and returning 4.30pm which takes in Loch Ness and Inverness. Looking on the bright side if I get washed away on Loch Ness I might be able to thumb a lift back to the ship from Nessie. On the other hand, being a good ex Girl Guide I'm going prepared with my trusty OAP bus pass, you know just in case ....

My last employer refused to let me leave 30 minutes early to visit my mother in hospital and I therefore never saw her. I lived 100 miles away and had a long train journey involving crossing London and overhead trains. I'd worked there 13 years. I left shortly after, however my friend had cancer and was made to take holiday and unpaid leave to have her chemotherapy. This was a leading London lawyer. Employers unfortunately can be very cruel about absence.

Is that age related, medical grounds, something else? There are specialist companies but they aren't cheap. More information would help.

For fellow Orkney lovers (who's fan club I'm now an official member of) a few taster photographs.

The meet and greet people this morning told me there are two bands and the one sending us off we're the better of the two. I hope you enjoyed them.

Yes a six hour private minibus tour with Go Orkney. Really thorough, great knowledge and the minibus is normally the dial a ride for the islands. Unfortunately we were sharing with some passengers on Nieuw Statendam who had an earlier sailing- we're still here all onboard is 6.30pm - or we would gave an an extra hour or so. An absolutely unforgettable day, if every thins else is a washout today will be more than enough.

I'm trying to work out if Essex lies to the north or south of the Cathedral .. I'll come back to you when my slide rule gives a result. I quite fancy the uppies given the choice.

I'm sure he won't. He had major problems getting off the ship this morning - the story was quite horrendous. Unfortunately Queen Anne isn't proving very disability friendly.

Yes, I tried both and bought a small bottle if each. I gather Scappa is more for the locals. Highland Park Distillery closed to yours due to a new floor being laid at present. The weather is absolutely gorgeous, tee shirts apart from Scappa Flow where I popped a sweater on. I thought the whole place totally magical.

I think he's already wound up today unfortunately.

Oh and by the way, I bought these guys... vote time, shall I let them run free on Queen Anne???